The Fine Art of Cannabis Tourism Partnerships: Building Local Business Ecosystems
There's no ignoring cannabis tourism. In recreationally legal states, visitors are either cannabis lovers or canna-curious, but either way, when people have the option to try legal cannabis products, they're often interested in taking it. To take advantage of this, destination marketing organizations and chamber and visitor's bureaus need to create cannabis tourism programs.
Creating successful cannabis tourism programs requires more than just promoting dispensaries - it demands thoughtful collaboration between various business sectors. Here's how tourism organizations can build thriving partnerships that enhance the visitor experience while maintaining compliance and professionalism with a variety of organizations in the community.
Understanding the Cannabis Tourism Ecosystem
The foundation of successful cannabis tourism lies in understanding the diverse players that can contribute to the visitor experience. Beyond dispensaries, potential partners include:
Boutique hotels and bed & breakfasts
Local restaurants and craft beverage producers
Tour operators and transportation services
Wellness providers and spas
Cultural institutions and arts organizations
Adventure and outdoor recreation companies
Dispensaries and consumption lounges are a key piece of this, but they are not the only businesses that need to be included. A robust cannabis tourism ecosystem demands creativity and variety.
Identifying Compatible Partnership Opportunities
Not every business will be suitable for cannabis tourism partnerships. Tourism organizations should evaluate potential partners based on:
Legal Considerations
Current licensing and compliance status. What licenses has your state cannabis office issued? Are there consumption lounges or just dispensaries? Are there a variety of manufacturers? How many growers operate in your state? Understanding this helps you take stock of the current offerings visitors can enjoy.
Understanding of state and local regulations. Every legal state operates as a silo, which means that licensing and compliance vary depending on location on the state and municipality level. It is of the utmost importance that DMOs and CVBs understand the rules and regulations of the state and the county they exist in.
Track record of regulatory compliance. Cannabis partners need to be vetted just like any other partner for tourism programs. You need to ensure that you're choosing businesses that understand and respect the rules and regulations.
Insurance coverage and liability protection. This goes hand-in-hand with regulatory compliance - choosing businesses that uphold all of their responsibilities.
Staff training and protocols. Does your office staff understand the cannabis laws of your state? Can they accurately inform visitors of their rights and responsibilities when asked?
Brand Alignment
Professional reputation within the community. The best cannabis partners are those who are actively involved in their communities. Dispensaries in particular, like all businesses, should invest in the areas that support them. Working to support the community is a sign that a cannabis business makes for a good partner.
Target market compatibility. There are as many types of cannabis consumers as there are types of travelers. You want to partner with businesses whose target audience matches your target traveler. If you're marketing to DINKS, you don't want to partner with a business aiming to capture 21 - 28-year-old male heavy smokers.
Quality standards and service levels. Partners should uphold high-quality customer service, worthy of bearing a tourism partnership sticker on their door.
Long-term business stability. Cannabis is not the most stable industry - a high cost of entry, low profit margins, and rapidly changing regulations make this a challenging industry to succeed in. Vet your partners carefully to ensure you're working with people who have a plan the weather the storm for long-term success.
Developing Compliant Cross-Promotional Strategies
Digital Marketing Integration
Creating content that meets platform guidelines. Social media platforms do not like cannabis content. Approach promoting your partnership carefully on platforms like Meta and X because using too many cannabis-themed hashtags or images is a one-way ticket to getting banned. Creativity is required here.
Developing shared email marketing campaigns. Your owned email list is one of the best places to promote a cannabis tourism partnership because most email hosting platforms (MOST!) are more willing to work with cannabis content.
Building SEO-friendly content partnerships. Search engine optimized and traditional print marketing methods are two tried-and-true paths to success with cannabis, given the multitude of restrictions on marketing this plant. SEO pages on your cannabis tourism offerings and promoting them on Pinterest (a social media/search engine combination) is a great way to start to get eyeballs on your assets.
Leveraging partner websites and online presence. Backlinking and cross-promotion are two great ways to increase eyeballs and traffic on your tourism assets, so ask your partners to promote the partnerships.
Offline Marketing Solutions
Co-branded visitor guides and maps. Where are your cannabis partners located? Which businesses can they visit, tour, or get onsite with? Adding cannabis assets to existing print materials is a low-level way to share cannabis tourism information.
In-room information materials. Having tourism-branded print assets that partners can use is a great way to share information. Pamphlets, one-pagers, and other print materials that your office can carry and share is a great way to get around social media restrictions and give people information they can take with them.
Local business referral programs. Can dispensaries offer a discount to visitors staying at certain accommodations? Can puff and paint companies offer classes at event spaces? How can you creatively pair cannabis tourism businesses with existing businesses?
Joint participation in tourism events. Loop cannabis businesses in on existing tourism events to normalize cannabis consumption and further integrate canna-businesses into your community.
Creating Cannabis Tourism Package Experiences
Types of Successful Packages
Cannabis tourism includes smoking weed, but it doesn't start or end there. There are so many ways to consume cannabis that don't include smoke, so it's important to get creative when putting together cannabis tourism packages. Consider the following:
Wellness weekends combining spa services and cannabis education
Culinary experiences pairing local food and cannabis culture
Arts and culture tours incorporating cannabis history
Outdoor adventures with cannabis wellness elements
Educational packages focused on the industry and agriculture
Package Development Best Practices
Clear definition of included services
Transparent pricing structures
Flexible booking options
Cancellation policies
Legal compliance measures
Examples of Successful Cannabis Tourism Partnerships
Feeling stuck getting started on how to put together tourism partnerships? Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Cannabis-Hotel Partnerships
Example: A boutique hotel chain could partner with a cannabis education company to offer in-room information about local cannabis culture and guided experiences.
Culinary Collaborations
Example: A restaurant group partners with cannabis tour operators to create monthly cannabis-paired dining experiences, educating visitors on the variety of how cannabis can be used and local food culture.
Adventure Tourism Integration with Cannabis
Example: An outdoor recreation company collaborates with wellness-focused cannabis brands to create unique "mindful adventure" experiences, to attract a new demographic of wellness-oriented travelers.
Next Steps for Tourism Organizations Building Cannabis Partnerships
To begin developing successful cannabis tourism partnerships:
Assess your market's current cannabis tourism landscape
Identify potential partners that align with your tourism goals
Develop clear partnership criteria and evaluation processes
Create pilot programs to test different partnership models
Establish measurement systems to track success
Successful cannabis tourism partnerships require planning, clear communication, and ongoing management. By leaning into this new avenue of collaboration, destinations can take advantage of new revenue streams, cater to a new kind of traveler, and support local business growth.
Remember that the most successful cannabis tourism partnerships focus on creating authentic, educational, and engaging experiences that complement existing tourism offerings rather than competing with them. Through thoughtful collaboration and careful attention to detail, tourism organizations can build thriving cannabis tourism ecosystems that benefit all participants while maintaining high professional standards.
Embracing the Green Wave of Tourism
Are you a DMO or CVB ready to embrace your cannabis tourism assets? Let me make it easy for you!
As an SEO writer who specializes in cannabis education with a background in travel and tourism, I have a unique understanding of what tourism marketers need to create and promote cannabis tourism assets. I've written over 1,000 pieces of educational cannabis content as well as visitor guides, Simpleview websites, and more. I help destination marketers create cannabis tourism assets to embrace the future of cannabis tourism.
As a cannabis tourist and van lifer, I've traveled to recreational states across the country and am intimately familiar with cannabis laws and the SEO strategies needed to get cannabis tourism information in front of visitors who are searching for it. Send me a note today to get started building your cannabis tourism assets!
